How to Put Up Holiday Lights!

STOP! See this entire series on a video I just made for ya’ll. It is 20 minutes long and very detailed, but teachs you how to put up your lights. Click the title below…

How To Put Up Christmas Lights Video

It’s that time of year men (and ladies). It’s the time when we go all out in the unwritten, unsponsored, but extremely important competition to out-do the neighbors with holiday spirit … we do this, of course, with outdoor Christmas decorations and lighting.
In this post, part 1, I will explain some of the basic materials and preparation, as well as my own philosophy in the matter.
Introduction to the “runway” look:
I am not a fan of sloppy, floppy, multi-colored-1980s-looking Christmas lighting. I prefer my outdoor lighting display to be clean, neat, well-ordered, methodical and classy. My setup is made completely using C7 (medium-sized) clear lights. Each C7 Christmas light is evenly spaced and laid out logically so as to keep power cords and plugs hidden from view. In short, I want my display to be “tight,” and not look like an old, burned out Ferris wheel at a strip-mall parking lot carnival. Interestingly enough, my method also makes putting up and taking down the display much easier year after year.
Definition of the “runway” look:
I’m not sure if I am the first to ever use this term, but I’ll take credit nonetheless. The name indicates that your display will be well defined like the outline of an aircraft runway. Every light is exactly spaced and straight. This creates a very classy appearance. (visuals coming in parts 2 and 3)
Supplies needed.
(1) 10 sets of C7 clear lights. The best place to get them is online suppliers where they are about $5 per set.
(2) 4 packs of stake clips and 6 packs of ’shingle and gutter’ clips.
(3) 4 extension cords (50 ft each in green)
(4) 2, 3-plug solar-sensing outlets with on/off timers. These save you from having to trek out in the cold at night before bed to turn the lights off.

The above supplies will cover most houses, front and sides. This basic setup is designed to highlight your roof-lines and your bed-lines on the ground. (4 sets for the ground, and 6 sets for the roof.) The cost of these supplies is around $155 total. Keep in mind that it’s a one-time investment that will last several years.
Layout and planning.
Here is where you can save yourself some bigtime headaches. Preparing a good plan keeps you from having to remove and re-position clips while you are up on the roof. It will also help you make the most of your extension cords and power source.
(1) Make a generic drawing (bird’s eye view) of your property with some basic measurements. Identify your power source (hopefully at the rear of the house) as well as where your solar power strips will be, and how your cords will run to them. Also keep in mind that you can only string 4 or sets together or you will blow fuses (see instructions on box) This will effect the way your layout your lights.

(2) attach clips to lights. For the stake clips on the ground, attach them whichever way you want, just do every light the same. Important: every light gets its own clip. We do not want any sags in the line. For the roof and gutter clips, you need to go outside and visualize how the clips will attach to the roof. Do you want your light facing up or down?

You also need to decide where to start and if the starting end will begin with the male connector or female connector. It helps to go on the roof and place a few clips to see your options because clip positioning varies depending upon if you start your strand with the male end vs the female end. Once again, with the roof line lights, every light gets a clip … no skipping!

(3) gently tighten all the lights in their sockets as you attach the clips.

You can get great pricing and selection on holiday lighting and display here.

Next, move on to Part 2

Lawn fungus treatment is often required even in the thickest lawn. But identifying brown patches and brown spots in the lawn is not the easiest task. Keep in mind that not all brown spots in the lawn are caused by fungus. Either way, this article will help you with some of the general lawn fungus treatment options and in addition, help you identify the exact lawn disease you amay be dealing with.

The most important factor in dealing with lawn fungus is prevention! It is extremely difficult to eradicate a lawn fungus once it has already taken hold and caused damage.
Secondly, there are some fungus problems that are caused by poor soil conditions, while others are caused by weather conditions. Each type needs a different course of action.

Lawn Fungus Treatment for Weather Related Diseases

Some of the more common lawn fungus problems that crop up due to long, cool wet periods are: Leaf Spot, Powdery Mildew, Red Thread Lawn, Rust and SnowMold. These are common lawn fungus and not very serious if you get on top of them. The best way to prevent them is to apply a granular lawn fungicide treatment in later April and again in later May (according to package directions). These simple treatments should thwart the onslaught of the disease.
If you do get to the problem late, you can still treat the problem to prevent it from getting any worse.

Here is a specific article on Red Thread Lawn Fungus. Here is another about Dollar Spot Fungus.

Lawn Fungus Treatment for Soil Related Lawn Diseases

The two lawn diseases that I normally associate with poor soil conditions are pythium blight and fusarium blight. These two problems are often generically referred to as patch diseases.
The quickest way to combat these two problems is to have your lawn aerated in the spring and fall every year, as well as check your pH and see if a lime application is needed. In addition, you do not want to over-fertilize with heavy nitrogen when these lawn fungus are present in your lawn.

There are also some simple, everyday changes you can make to reduce the likelihood of getting a lawn fungus.

Proper watering is important. Water just a couple times per week and water deeply when you do. Always avoid light waterings.

Proper mowing… First off, it is a myth that lawn fungus are spread from lawn to lawn on mower wheels or with hoses and spreaders. Either way, you should always catch your clippings when a disease is present and mow tall.

Another concern with lawn fungus is the thatch layer. This article tells you all about lawn thatch.

Lawn Fungicides

There are two lawn fungicide classifications

CONTACT FUNGICIDES: once applied, remain on the plant’s surface and kill spores that come in contact with it. These treatments lay on top of the leaves and will degrade with sunlight and rain. These most normally come in liquid spray form and are minimally effective.

SYSTEMIC FUNGICIDES: Usually granular, these lawn fungus treatments are dissolved into the soil and taken up into grass plants through their roots. These treatments are longer lasting and work to prevent disease in the lawn.

To summarize, the best lawn fungus treatment comes with proper watering and mowing, reduction of thatch thru aeration and keeping the soil loosened with aeration as well. Lawn fungus treatments applied should be systemic preventative. See the box below for some of the best lawn fungicides.